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Big Idea Daily | Above the Line


Lessons in Leadership and Life from a Championship Program
by Urban Meyer

“Do I have all the answers? I don’t have half of them. But I’ll tell you what: I am looking hard for the answers I don’t have.”
URBAN MEYER

 

BIG IDEA
Got BCD?

FROM THE BOOK
“It isn’t hard to find people who are caught in Below the Line behavior.
 
All you need to do is look for those whose first reaction is to blame (others), complain (about circumstances), and defend (yourself), or BCD. At Ohio State, BCD is the worst thing you can do, outside of lying or disrespecting a woman. It is much worse than fumbling or throwing an interception. When there is a lot of BCD going on, it means people are not owning their mistakes, [and] not being accountable....
 
My advice to leaders: ruthlessly eliminate BCD. Instead of accountability, BCD creates a culture of excuse-making and victimization—things that are toxic for your organization and performance. It has never solved a problem, achieved a goal, or improved a relationship. Stop wasting your time and energy on something that will never help you.”
 
Brian's Notes
BCD. ← That may just be my new favorite acronym.
​
Do you ever BLAME or COMPLAIN or DEFEND? Me, too. Of course we do, we’re human.
​
Do you want to move from Victim to Creator to HERO and do what you’re here to do? Me, too. Of course we do, we’re striving to be HEROIC.
​
Well, if we’re SERIOUS about our commitment to showing up as the best, most Heroic versions of ourselves so we can help create a world in which 51% of humanity is flourishing by 2051, then we need to notice all the times we fall into BCD and, instead, live Above the Line as we take EXTREME OWNERSHIP.
​
No more Blaming. No more Complaining. No more Defending. Period.

Big Ideas

01: ABOVE THE LINE

02: GOT BCD?

03: THE R FACTOR

04: RELENTLESS EFFORT

05: THE POWER OF BELIEF


“Now I understand. Average leaders have quotes. Good leaders have a plan. Exceptional leaders have a system.”
URBAN MEYER

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